A climber who froze to death during a Spanish mountain holiday had been planning a new life in the region to be closer to his children, the Sunday Sun can reveal.

Robert Rippengal, 39, and his girlfriend, Kate Stokes, were forced to spend the night 5000ft above sea level in the Picos de Europa National Park, in Northern Spain, after becoming trapped by blizzards.

The couple made a desperate call for help and dug themselves a snow hole to take shelter from the driving storm, but Robert died of hypothermia before rescuers could reach them. Kate died on the way to hospital.

Robert's sister, Emma, last week paid tribute to her brother, who bought a home in Santon, Cumbria, last month.

She said: "He was an immensely cheerful, energetic, enthusiastic and very clever man . . . he was lovely."

Robert - the commercial director of a renewable energy company - was in the process of selling his house in Cambridge so he could move to Cumbria to be nearer his two children from a previous relationship, Eliza, four, and Sam, two.

His father, Derek, 77, said: "Sam is too young to be told what has happened.

"Eliza has been told that her father is dead. Her mother said that her daddy has gone to sleep in the snow and is with the angels."

The couple - who had been together 18 months and were both experienced climbers - had been hiking in the craggy limestone mountains last Saturday when they were stranded by the weather.

After making a snow hole, they made a last desperate mobile phone call to their friend, Richard Landen, back home in Cambridge, who raised the alarm.

A search and rescue team set out on Saturday night but was forced back by the atrocious conditions.

A member of staff from the hostel where the couple were staying also helped with the search, but all that was found was a rucksack.

Hypothermia

Rescuers found the couple on Sunday evening close to the village of Liebana, but Robert had already died of hypothermia.

Kate died in the helicopter on the way to hospital.

Rescuers were forced to leave Robert's body on the mountain and were only able to return for it on Wednesday, when weather conditions improved.

However, a Foreign Office spokesman said: "I can confirm that the body of Mr Rippengal has been recovered from the mountain.

"The Spanish authorities, who are investigating the circumstances surrounding the deaths, say so far they believe they died of exposure."